1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to downloading and displaying a video program from networks and, more particularly, to a method and a mobile terminal for downloading and displaying a video program by the mobile device in an interworking environment comprising a first radio access network having a first data transfer rate and a second radio access network having a second data transfer rate that is faster than the first data transfer rate.
2. Background of the Invention
In an interworking that includes two networks such as, for example, a Third Generation (3G) cellular network and a Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), it is desirable to take advantage of the increased bandwidth of the faster network (e.g., the WLAN) to download and display higher quality video whenever a mobile terminal enters the coverage area of the faster network.
For video streaming, there are currently two main approaches to make use of the higher bandwidth. The first approach is to switch between a high display rate and a low display rate when a mobile terminal moves in and out of a higher bandwidth coverage area. The second approach is to keep a constant low display rate even in the higher bandwidth coverage area.
The end result of the first approach is actually very annoying to mobile users, especially for relatively high mobility usage scenarios. Users would rather maintain a constant quality than frequently switch their quality perception levels. The second approach maintains the same low display quality, but it does not take full advantage of the higher bandwidth coverage area.
Accordingly, it would be desirable and highly advantageous to have a method and mobile terminal capable of taking advantage of increased bandwidth in an interworking environment, while overcoming the above-described deficiencies of the prior art.